Did You Know That Timing Counts When Taking Down Orders?

July 17, 2013

Have you ever ordered fast food, only to find out that it wasn’t so “fast” after all? Butch, a real estate executive by day and motoring writer by hobby, found out the bitter reality when he dialed a popular fast food chain’s order taking hotline one fine day. Instead of waiting roughly 30 minutes for his piping-hot hotdog, soda, and fries, his grumbling tummy had to endure 3 long hours before the delivery boy showed up at his doorstep!

And if you think that this seemingly eternal wait was an isolated case, it wasn’t. Apparently, as Butch found out via the power of Facebook posting, that many other folks had been complaining about the turtle-like pace of that fast food chain’s customer order service. Some even commented that it was useless to dial their call center hotline; it was better to brave the traffic and get your meal at their store.

The aforementioned incident brings to light a reality that you, Mr. or Ms Biz Owner must look into when running an order taking call center service—that delivery times are just as crucial as the act of taking down those orders. Whether you’re running a fast food joint, flower shop, or even selling shampoo via the Home TV Shopping channel, always keep in mind that customers expect their ordered products to be sent to their doorstep within a reasonable amount of time.

What is reasonable, you ask? This timeframe depends on how long you would need to process the order. Food normally takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Those bottles of shampoo can take a 2-5 day journey, depending on your courier service partner. The important thing to remember is that when you promise to deliver within a certain time, stick to that promise. Breaking that promise can cost you valuable customers—they can simply walk away and choose another brand that has a more efficient order and delivery service.

As for Butch, he did get his hotdog meal. But not after cursing the fast food chain all over social media. Now, you can avoid this by making sure that your order taking call center is as efficient as a well-oiled machine. How? Check back with us next time to find out.